July 12, 2012

Santorini, Greece

Ohhhhh I've been waiting so long to share stories from Santorini with you guys, and now I just can't wait any longer!

Santorini was the place that I thought about when I thought about Greece.

Rows and rows of white houses with blue roofs and shutters. Incredible cliff views and perfectly blue water. Small fishing villages where people get around on foot or donkey.

It's like Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (I think that's where it was filmed) on steroids. There is nothing like it but to see it in real life.

It look my breath away everywhere I turned, or maybe it was the 30 minute hike to the top that did that.

But regardless, there was nothing more spectacular. I knew I loved the other places we visited, especially Positano, but Santorini was the place for me.

If you ever plan on taking a trip to Greece, and can't decide what island to visit or where to go, GO TO SANTORINI.

The entire island is built on a cliff, meaning that it's not really a beach destination, but I found myself coveting the gorgeous pools at the hotels as we walked through the towns.

When we got off the ship, we were in the town of Fira, but to get to the top is either a 600-stair walk or donkey ride (which I refused to do), or a cable car that had an hour wait.

So instead we decided to take a boat to the other side of Santorini to the small fishing town of Oia.

And we were so glad that we did. Not only was Oia far superior to Fira in views, architecture, and crowds, but the hike was only 350 steps instead of 600. Needless to say I still was sweating like a pig, but at least I made it to the top.

Oia consists of hotels, shops, and restaurants, all built on cliffs, like a city built all on top of each other. We walked along the streets that are for pedestrians only, and the air was so clear and quiet without the bustle of cars.

We had an amazing day walking around the island and couldn't believe that we actually got to visit this beautiful place, and we can't wait to go back someday!